Energy Dept disappoints US coal industry: no order keeping plants open

Energy Dept disappoints US coal industry: no order keeping plants open

The Trump administration has reneged on one aspect of a promise widely discussed throughout the 2016 presidential campaign: reviving the coal industry.

President Donald Trump declared the United States coal industry would thrive under his watch, but the Trump administration and the Energy Department have just delivered a blow to the electric-utility users of that fuel.

The White House and the Energy Department have agreed there will not be a new emergency order that protects any coal plant in the country from closing.

The president had declared, both publicly and privately to major coal operators in the U.S., that such an order would be enacted.

That kind of emergency action, while legal, had previously been intended for use solely during times of crisis. The proposed order would have applied it across the board and permanently.

According to The Washington Post, the Energy Department considered the emergency action, but ultimately ruled it unnecessary—and the White House agreed with that conclusion.

Certain utilities now operating coal plants believe they cannot survive economically, as those plants remain uncompetitive with cheaper renewable energy sources and the booming use of natural gas to fuel newer and more efficient power plants.

President Trump had reportedly committed to the emergency measure with executives from Murray Energy and First Energy Corporations; he reportedly told aides, “I want this done” after reading letters from the executives.

In those letters, the executives claimed thousands of coal miners would be laid off and pensions would be put at risk if immediate action to fund and keep the coal-burning plants humming was not taken.

Overall, the White House remains “sympathetic” to the coal industry, according to the Post, but believes further regulatory change is the best route forward.

“With respect to this particular case at this particular time, the White House and the Department of Energy are in agreement that the evidence does not warrant the use of this emergency authority,” Energy Department spokeswoman Shaylyn Hynes said.

The emergency action stems from a small section of the Federal Power Act, which allows the U.S. government to step in and aid the nation’s power supply during times of crisis.